The present invention relates generally to a single cylinder internal combustion engine and more particularly to such an engine having a plurality of accessory systems mounted thereto.
Internal combustion engines of the single cylinder air-cooled type are sometimes employed as the power source for lawn mowers and other implements requiring a rotary drive. In such applications various accessory systems are attached to the engine to enhance operator control and to promote safety. Such accessories include, among others, a deadman safety brake, throttle control levers, an electric starter, an alternator, cooling air baffles and finger guards. Each of these accessories is currently assembled to the engine block one at a time during assembly of the engine as a whole. One disadvantage of this prior construction is that a multiplicity of fasteners are employed and certain components whose individual natures lend themselves to automated assembly must nevertheless be assembled using less than optimum automation because of limitations of automating the assembly of whole engines on a build-line.
It would be desireable to provide an improved engine assembly design in which certain accessory components can be preassembled as a single subassembly which can then be assembled to the engine. This and other advantageous features are obtained by the present invention.